


Legal Advice

by ekbelfield



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Felicity is his anchor, Inspired by Legally Blonde, Law School AU, Oliver is adrift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5717470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekbelfield/pseuds/ekbelfield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver is struggling with law school.  Felicity helps him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legal Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!
> 
> So I've been wanting to do a Legally Blonde AU for awhile, but I just don't have the patience or the time to do it properly, so you all get this. I'm applying to law school right now, but have no actually law school knowledge, so if this is way off, I'll come back and fix it after I've actually attended some law school haha.
> 
> We get new Arrow in a week! I can't tell you how ready I am.
> 
> Enjoy!

Felicity Smoak made her way to her usual park bench, only to be surprised by the slumped over figure sitting her normal spot. _1Ls_ she thought. _He must not know this is my bench._ Felicity had been eating lunch on the same bench near campus for the last year. She was very studious and at the top of her class, but she needed the occasional sunshine, so she made a point to eat her lunch outside every day that the weather allowed it. It was the beginning of a new school year, though, and she knew how overwhelming the first year of law school could be.

“Bad day?” She asked as she took her seat on the other end of the bench, eyeing the man who was hunched over with his head in his hands. He looked up at her with wild eyes and she was taken aback by how blue they were.

“Is it that obvious?” He asked, clearly exasperated.

“It’s not that uncommon this time of year to see 1Ls freaking out. But they don’t usually have their breakdowns on my bench.” Felicity replied gently, smiling encouragingly.

“What? Oh, sorry. God, I can’t do anything right. I’ll just get out of your hair.” He started to stand up, but she reached over and put a soft hand on his arm, doing her best to ignore the play of his muscles underneath his shirt.

“It’s okay. Stay. Maybe I can help.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” The man said ruefully, casting an appraising over her as though really seeing her for the first time.

“I think I might surprise you.” She removed her hand from his arm, but kept it extended towards him. “Felicity Smoak, 3L. I’m studying cybersecurity and intellectual property law.”

The eyebrows above his shockingly blue eyes raised, impressed. He grasped her hand with his. “Oliver Queen. I’m a 1L and I’m in over my head.”

“Oliver.” She said with another smile. “Everyone thinks that at first. You’ll get the hang of it.” She was surprised that he didn’t seem reassured.

“Yeah? Does everyone else get kicked out of class for being unprepared, when they didn’t know there was anything _to_ prepare?” Felicity bit her lip to hold back her smile. She had, in fact, seen that happen before, and opened her mouth to tell him as much, but he didn’t let her get a word out. “Does everyone else only come to law school to try to win back their ex only to find out that they have moved on with their best friend?” There was no hostility in his tone, just sadness, and maybe a little bit of incredulousness.

Felicity just winced. “Ouch. I can’t help you there. But I may be able to make your academic life a little easier.”

“How?”

“3L, remember? I’ve been where you are. I take it you got kicked out of Wells’ lecture”

Oliver stared at her. “How’d you know?”

Felicity didn’t try to hold back her smile this time. “You actually aren’t the first person that has happened to.” This bit of information seemed to interest Oliver, so he leaned in slightly as he responded.

“You’re joking.” There was maybe a hint of a smile on his face, and Felicity was willing to call this a victory.

“I’m not!” Felicity said with a laugh. “My first year, it was my friend Barry. Now Barry TAs for him. I promise you’ll be able to get back into his good graces. Just make sure you read ahead for his class. It’ll help.”

Oliver’s shoulders slumped with relief at this news. “How are you a 3L? You seem like you’re younger than I am?”

“I came straight to law school after undergrad. Which I graduated at 19.” Felicity was matter-of-fact with this information, not wanting Oliver to feel any worse than he already did.

“Damn.” He was impressed, but trying not to show it. “Anything else you can tell me?”

“You have Steele for Contracts?” When Oliver nodded, Felicity continued. “Steele is really smart, and he likes creativity. Contracts can be boring so he likes to see people that can bring some style to it.”

“Style, got it.” Oliver repeated. “What about West? Criminal law?”

“Oh, he’s a big old marshmallow. Don’t let him know you know that, though. The last guy who tried to take advantage of his soft side almost failed out.” Felicity’s eyes were bright as she noticed Oliver was absorbing the information she was imparting like a sponge.

“What about you?” Oliver asked, finally.

“What about me?”

“Well, you said this was your bench. So you spend a lot of time on campus?” Oliver’s posture had relaxed slightly, and Felicity could tell he felt more in his element flirting then flailing.

“Yeah, I TA for Palmer. He’s a genius but he expects a lot.” Felicity looked down in her lap as she said this, but when she looked up she was surprised to see panic in Oliver’s eyes.

“Oliver, what?” But before Felicity could get out her question, Oliver had slid closer, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

“Play along, and I will owe you big time.” Oliver breathed against her cheek. He froze for a moment, his breath small puffs against her cheek, causing her to shiver, before pulling back and exaggerating noticing something behind her.

“Laurel. I didn’t expect to see you out here.” Felicity turned, Oliver still so close to her that her hair flicked against his face, and a tall figure walked into her field of view. It was one of the most gorgeous women she’d every seen in real life.

The woman, Laurel, Felicity surmised, spoke. “Oh Ollie, I just wanted to make sure you were alright after Wells kicked you out.” Felicity could see Oliver cringe at the nickname, and the expression didn’t leave his face as Laurel reminded him of his humiliation.

Felicity leaned in even closer, determined to bail Oliver out. “Oh _Ollie_ is just fine.” She exaggerated running her fingers along Oliver’s arm, his eyes widening slightly before his face relaxed into a grin.

“I’m fine, Laurel, as you can see.” He said to Laurel, but his eyes never left Felicity’s. “Maybe I’ll see you around.” He added in a clear dismissal. Laurel huffed, but moved away, and Felicity could see in the distance her grasping hands with a man, as she got further away.

“Thank you.” Oliver breathed into her space, still leaning close.

“You’re welcome. I’m not sure what the point of that was, but…” Felicity trailed off, leaning back to give herself some space, the proximity to his blue eyes making her brain go fuzzy around the edges.

“To be honest, I’m not really sure either.” He stared off in the distance for a moment, before looking back toward Felicity. “Thank you. For the advice and the save. I hope I see you around.” He took her hand as he stood, kissing the back of her palm, before smiling at her and walking away.

“Well that was weird.” Felicity said out loud to no one.

*

As weird as their first encounter was, it was the beginning of an even weird friendship. They didn’t see each other often, being in different years and having different demands on their time, but Oliver looked Felicity up in the student directory, and would e-mail her whenever he needed advice. Felicity always made the time to help him, and a few days a month Oliver would come see her at her bench in the park.

(If she sometimes referred to it as “their” bench in her mind, he didn’t need to know about it.)

Oliver didn’t bring up Laurel again, and Felicity didn’t ask.

Over the course of the year, Felicity would say they became friends. Better friends than she thought, actually, when he showed up at her bench one night right before she graduated with a _really nice_ bottle of wine.

“Oliver! What is this!?” She exclaimed, reaching for the wine excitedly.

“We’re celebrating. You’re graduating. And I’m going to be Wells’ summer associate.”

Felicity had to hide her jaw dropping. She knew things had gotten better for Oliver in his class, but she didn’t know how much. “Oh my god. Congratulations!” Felicity squealed, vaulting up from the bench to throw her arms around Oliver’s neck, wine bottle still in hand.

“It’s because of you, you know.” He said into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her to return her embrace.

Felicity pulled away, pulling Oliver to sit on the bench with her. “Really? How do you figure that?”

Oliver took a deep breath. “Felicity. That day we met? You remember it?”

Felicity laughed. “Of course I remember it. You were moping and I helped.”

He smiled at her. “I was going to quit. I’d come to law school for a girl, which is about the stupidest reason to go to law school, and when I got here I found out she left me. And then the classes were _hard_. I had never had to work hard at anything in my life before then. I was going to quit. My parents already thought I was a total failure, they were so excited when I said I wanted to go to law school, they didn’t know I was chasing Laurel to do it. They thought I finally got it together. I knew they would be disappointed when they realized I hadn’t, that I wouldn’t be coming home with a law degree to take over the family business, but I didn’t think all of this would be worth it.”

Felicity watched him closely, because she’d never heard Oliver talk about himself this much in one go. Everything she knew about him she had learned by the questions he asked about his classes. His expression softened as he continued.

“But then I met you. And I found a reason to tough it out. Because a stranger I had never met believed in me. You gave me the advice and the hope I needed. And now my parents are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I couldn’t have done any of it without you.” He was holding her hand now, and Felicity was trying not to tear up.

“Oh, Oliver. I could tell it mattered to you, even if you didn’t want to admit it. You’ve done great. And you’ll continue to do great.” Felicity smiled a watery smile at him, before laughing and breaking the moment. Oliver smiled back at her, before taking the wine from her to uncork it.

“Is this too fancy to drink from the bottle?” Felicity asked.

“Nothing is.” Oliver said with a laugh, before handing the bottle over so Felicity could have the first sip.

They passed the bottle back and forth in silence for a few moments.

“So,” Oliver began “what are your post graduation plans?”

“I took a job at Queen Consolidated in their legal department. I guess they…” Felicity didn’t get to finish her sentence because Oliver was laughing too hard. “What?” Felicity asked, confused.

“Felicity.” Oliver was laughing while he was speaking. “What’s my name?”

“Oliver Queen?” Felicity replied back, still confused. Oliver just stared at her until it dawned on her.

“Oh! Oh. _Oh._ ” Felicity’s reaction just made Oliver laugh more.

“You really didn’t know?” Oliver asked, disbelieving.

“I really didn’t know. I mean, I knew the Queens had a useless son, but I didn’t know it was _you_.” Felicity said with a laugh as Oliver mock glared at her.

“I can’t believe it.” Oliver said.

“What, you can’t believe I got a job at your family’s company?” Felicity said with a smile.

“It’s not that.” Oliver paused, growing serious. “I thought this was it for us. The end of the line. You’d go off and have a wonderful life and I’d struggle and hopefully not drown.”

“Um, what?” Felicity couldn’t grasp what he was saying. “You thought we were never going to speak again after I graduated?”

“I thought it might happen. You were always so smart and I’ve always been so mediocre.” Felicity opened her mouth to protest, but Oliver cut her off. “But now? Now I’ve got a light at the end of the tunnel to come home to.” 

Felicity’s eyes widened, mouth parting in shock, and Oliver took the opportunity to lean in and press his lips to hers. The kiss was quick and perfect and over much too soon. When Oliver pulled back he stood up, handing the half empty bottle of wine back to Felicity.

“I really like you, Felicity.” Felicity’s mouth was opening and closing, but no sound was coming out, her lips seemingly paralyzed by the kiss. When she finally regained her senses, she blurted out the thing on the very tip of her mind.

“What about Laurel?” Felicity cringed internally, but Oliver just laughed.

“She’s dating my best friend. I had to get over it.” He smiled down at her, kissing the back of her palm, mirroring the first time they met on Felicity’s bench. “Let me know when you get settled in at QC. I’d be happy to give you all the inside tips. Return the favor for everything you’ve done for me.”

Oliver smiled at her, before walking away. Felicity watched him go, the lighted path leading him away from her casting long shadows.

“Oh my god.”

*

Two years later, Oliver came home to take a job at Queen Consolidated, degree and wedding ring in hand.


End file.
